Sensible ATV rules.

Byline: The Register-Guard

When it comes to protecting the safety of Oregon's children, any progress is welcome. That certainly applies to modest new safety standards approved by the state House of Representatives last week for all-terrain vehicle operators younger than 16.

Kids have been killing and injuring themselves at alarming rates on adult-sized ATVs that can blast over blind sand dune cliffs at 60 miles per hour and crush a child's chest under 600 pounds of metal. Thank goodness House Democrats had the votes to begin applying some common-sense safeguards to a situation that's getting worse as the sport of ATV riding continues to grow.

Republicans pooh-poohed the effort to make ATV riding safer for younger children, decrying unnecessary nanny state regulations. The GOP slogan this session could be "Children: Good thing they don't vote."

First came their disgraceful refusal to support Gov. Ted Kulongoski's sensible plan to provide health insurance to the state's 117,000 uninsured children. Now the anti-kid House Republicans are on record opposing such sensible ATV safety rules as requiring riders younger than 16 to take a training course before heading out on dad's Bombardier Outlander 800 to churn a little sand.

Republican bull-headedness is all the harder to understand in light of the significant compromises made in legislation that was much more stringent when introduced.

Lawmakers threw out language requiring adults to wear helmets, banning young children from riding alone on ATVs or requiring that all off-road vehicles be registered with the state.

The scaled-down version won letters of support from representatives of both the American Motorcycle and All-Terrain Vehicle associations and from the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, the trade association for ATV makers and distributors. Those are typically the kind of endorsements Republicans seek before agreeing to consider new regulations.

Fortunately, with the support of all 31 House Democrats, Oregon is taking steps to protect younger ATV riders. The bill phases in new requirements for ATV and off-road motorcycle users to take a training course and acquire a permit.

When the requirement initially takes effect in 2009, the training and permit would be required only for those younger than 16. It would apply to operators of all ages starting in 2014.

The bill also specifies that younger riders:

Use "appropriately sized" ATVs that meet yet-to-be-written state Department of Parks and Recreation "rider-fit" guidelines. Presumably, the new guidelines won't permit children under age 16 to saddle up 600-pound Outlander 800s or similar juggernaut ATVs.

Ride while supervised by an adult with an operator's permit if an operator is younger than 16. A parent or guardian who violates this would be subject to a Class C traffic violation.

Use chin straps on helmets if younger than 18. Helmets already are required for riders of this age; the chin-strap requirement is new.

These modest new requirements are not examples of unnecessary government regulation. They stop far short of the outright ban on youth ATV riding called for by the American Academy of Pediatrics or the Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports magazine.

But they do begin to address a real safety issue for Oregon children. Twenty-five children died in Oregon ATV accidents during the six years beginning in 1999; eight were killed in 2005 alone.

With Lane County leading the state in ATV and off-road motorcycle injuries, the new safety regulations are a necessary and welcome response.